Office for Students with Disabilities

Head Injury Documentation Guidelines

You must provide medical documentation of your specific disability in order to verify accommodation eligibility under Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Documentation needs to be current in order to reflect present functioning. Additional documentation may be requested based upon the current status of the student and his/her request(s). All documentation is confidential and is on file at OSD.

You are responsible for making an appointment with an Accommodation Specialist to discuss your documentation and eligibility for accommodations, which are determined each semester. OSD will make the final determination of eligibility for accommodations. OSD cannot review an accommodation request until documentation is complete. Please contact OSD at 978-542-6217 if you have any questions.

Documentation must be from a qualified professional (e.g. medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, neurologist or licensed professional). The medical report must be specific about the diagnosis and functional limitations and signed by the professional making the diagnosis. If the disability is progressive or if changes in severity occur that affect accommodations, you must provide updated documentation to reflect the change in status. Recommended documentation must include:

• A clear statement of diagnosis, and if it substantially limits on or more major life activity such as: walking, seeing, hearing, learning, working.
• Date of diagnosis, including prognosis. Is the condition expected to improve over time or is it permanent?
• Statement of impact and limitations on academic performance in a university classroom. Include medical history related to current use of medication and the impact on your ability to meet the demands of the academic program.
• If available, a summary of cognitive and achievement measures used and evaluation results including standardized scores or percentiles used to make the diagnosis.
• Recommendations of reasonable accommodations that might be appropriate at the postsecondary level are encouraged. These recommendations should be supported by the diagnosis. Please note that Disability Services will make the final determination of eligibility for accommodations.
• Name, address, phone number and title and/or credentials of the practitioner(s), signature and date.

If there are co-existing learning disabilities, further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required.

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